proper deadlift form

phasar

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this may be a really dumb question for those who know the answer to it, so please don't bust my balls.

i've always heard deadlifts are the best excercise to increase trap mass, but it's never worked for me.

recently, a guy at the gym informed me that i need to cut back on the weight and keep my shoulders blades back instead of letting them extend forward with the weight when i'm going down.

i did try this, it felt really strange, and i had to cut the weight back by more than half. just wanted to confirm this. thanks a lot.
 

phasar

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thanks a lot for helping out. unless my eyes deceive me.......the guy in the link you gave me performing the deadlift looks like his shoulder blades are still PULLED BACK even during the descent.

how about yourself pitbull? when u do your deadlifts,do u mentally keep your shoulder blades PULLED BACK during the descent?
 
Pitbull954

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Your making me think lol..... I would say yes with both straight leg and dead lift I keep them pulled back. P.S. it's not a dumb question my partner I sometimes workout with did that for deads also so don't feel bad!
 
Basso

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Why not do shrugs for your traps? If your form is truely off then fix it, but I don't believe putting your blades back and dropping the weight in half is going to serve you well. The deadlift taxes your whole body, it will help your traps, and your legs, chest, arms etc. Deadlifts will help you gain size everywhere, it is in no way isolatory.

If you want just traps then shrug with lots of weight on a bar (not smith) or use those dumbells that have the dust on them in the corner (big'ns). I've never heard of keeping your blades back before and I've been in this game for awhile, anyway it makes absolutely no sense, sounds like a good way to put alot of extra stress on your rotator cuff.
Take it or leave it it's jmho
 
LakeMountD

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Deadlifts definitely packed ass onto my traps. The only thing that packed more was doing hang cleans. If you can get your form right on them (majority of people don't do it right) it is an UNBELIEVABLE mass builder in traps/hams/quads.

Deadlifts are a tough exercise though. To perform the exercise right depends a lot on your body structure. A lot of these reallllly thick guys with short stubby legs and arms always comment on how easy it is to deadlift and keep your back straight. But if you are like me with longer limbs and more slender body type, keeping back completely straight, shoulder blades back is a very daunting task and often times seemingly impossible. One of the problems I have when performing deadlifts is hitting the bar against my shins. The length of my arms compared to my legs and body, etc. force me to do this with heavier deadlifts.

One thing you can try is a sumo deadlift. I have tried it before and it works just as well just looks very awkward.

Rack pulls are another good exercise. This takes out the equation of hitting the bar on your knees and since you are bending over less you can focus more on shoulders back and back straight. Plus you will be able to lift more weight.
 

phasar

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lakemount: did straight leg vs. normal deadlifts make any difference to u, or no?

and when u said shoulder blades back, do u mean just not let them go forward, or actually making a point to make them stay back? thanks
 
LakeMountD

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lakemount: did straight leg vs. normal deadlifts make any difference to u, or no?

and when u said shoulder blades back, do u mean just not let them go forward, or actually making a point to make them stay back? thanks
Well with me, if I don't force them back then they come forward, so i overexegerrate the negative arch of my back (keeping it leaned backward) and push my shoulders back a little then the heavy weight pulls them straight.

Straight legged deadlifts hit my glutes and hamstrings MUCH MUCH harder while obviously not putting as much emphasis on quads, this is what makes them a good addition to squats, since squats and leg presses covers your quads and glutes well enough.
 
Mulletsoldier

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Deadlifts definitely packed ass onto my traps. The only thing that packed more was doing hang cleans. If you can get your form right on them (majority of people don't do it right) it is an UNBELIEVABLE mass builder in traps/hams/quads.

Deadlifts are a tough exercise though. To perform the exercise right depends a lot on your body structure. A lot of these reallllly thick guys with short stubby legs and arms always comment on how easy it is to deadlift and keep your back straight. But if you are like me with longer limbs and more slender body type, keeping back completely straight, shoulder blades back is a very daunting task and often times seemingly impossible. One of the problems I have when performing deadlifts is hitting the bar against my shins. The length of my arms compared to my legs and body, etc. force me to do this with heavier deadlifts.

One thing you can try is a sumo deadlift. I have tried it before and it works just as well just looks very awkward.

Rack pulls are another good exercise. This takes out the equation of hitting the bar on your knees and since you are bending over less you can focus more on shoulders back and back straight. Plus you will be able to lift more weight.
Word to this, my knees/shins have been brutalized before with this exact same problem...Pulling with this type of body type can be unneccessarily difficult..But like Lake said Rack Deads are key to cracking this problem..I have yet to try Sumo, but am going to next workout, for the above problems and I have heard it is much easier on the back because of the shortened pull
 

phasar

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...and push my shoulders back a little then the heavy weight pulls them straight.

.
had to read that and visualize a couple times to get what u mean. but i think i understand now. it just reinforces what the guy at the gym was telling me. and i guess that also means cutting the weight way back until i get the form right.

thanks for your advice!
 

mywetnightmares

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I've recently switched to Sumos and I love them, they just feel a little wierd at first. Once I figured them out though I found that I love them even more than regular deads.
 
Basso

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..I have yet to try Sumo, but am going to next workout, for the above problems and I have heard it is much easier on the back because of the shortened pull
Sumo engages the back a lot more then conventional, length of the pull is going to depend on how far you can get your feet apart. Once you try it you'll understand what I'm talking about. Balance is a bit rough if you've never done them before also, so start off slow. It could be advantagous to switch between the two, I like to do sumo/conv/GMs switching every or every other week, best of all 3 worlds!
 
Mulletsoldier

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I usually switch between Racks/Floors and BB Rows on my program, I find it eases some of the stress on my back...
 

phasar

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ohhhh man. the sumos are painful. one thing is for sure, my legs are underdeveloped. that's all i can feel, is the burn in the legs.......
 
LakeMountD

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ohhhh man. the sumos are painful. one thing is for sure, my legs are underdeveloped. that's all i can feel, is the burn in the legs.......
Glad to hear its working though.
 
NickyNoNames

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had to work out shoulders today because i wasnt in the mood to do dead lifts lol. tomorrow its on!
 
Basso

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this may be a really dumb question for those who know the answer to it, so please don't bust my balls.

i've always heard deadlifts are the best excercise to increase trap mass, but it's never worked for me.

recently, a guy at the gym informed me that i need to cut back on the weight and keep my shoulders blades back instead of letting them extend forward with the weight when i'm going down.

i did try this, it felt really strange, and i had to cut the weight back by more than half. just wanted to confirm this. thanks a lot.
Check this page out it should be helpful (link from stickie in PL/SM forum)

http://www.weighttrainersunited.com/directory.html
 
Mulletsoldier

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Well, a word for the wise..Yesterday was my back/chest/shoulder/tri day, and I gave sumo's a try..Since it was my first time, I kept it pretty light, only taking it upto 315 x 12, BUT even at that light weight I still got a decent pump..The more important thing however, was that I didn't smash my knees once, and my lower back was thanking me..I would definitely suggest this for any ecto's with longer limbs.
 

phasar

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Well, a word for the wise..Yesterday was my back/chest/shoulder/tri day, and I gave sumo's a try..Since it was my first time, I kept it pretty light, only taking it upto 315 x 12, BUT even at that light weight I still got a decent pump..The more important thing however, was that I didn't smash my knees once, and my lower back was thanking me..I would definitely suggest this for any ecto's with longer limbs.
what??? 315 X 12? i used to do deadlifts at 250. now that i'm working on the form thing, it's like 125 X 15.

if 315 is pretty light, what are we looking at for the max here? 500?

:box::box::box: .....you know what? maybe i should just give up the sport. i hear ballerina's pretty fun... Bwahahahahhahhaaa
 
Mulletsoldier

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No, I wish..I just one repped 415 the other week, and that is the most I have ever done..I switched to Sumo because that wretched the hell out of my back..And I definitely wouldn't be bowing down to me, Mr.Skull Crusher benched more than I Dead, Beelze does like 600 on racks..I still have ages to go before I am in the monster class
 

phasar

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mullet: can't u see the light by now? all i ever wanted was some rep points man. clearly, i'm in the red and drowning here.......
 
Mulletsoldier

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Well, maybe if you changed your attitude and stopped giving a **** about some useless dots beside your name, then you would get some..Instead of uselessly rep-whoring..Just a suggestion, hijack over.
 

phasar

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Well, maybe if you changed your attitude and stopped giving a **** about some useless dots beside your name, then you would get some..Instead of uselessly rep-whoring..Just a suggestion, hijack over.
damn it! that's it.............it is now my lifelong quest to deadlift 416 pounds, one more pound than your max.

.....only problem may be what you'll be lifting by the time i get there.... oh well, at least i tried....

now continues the rep-whoring..... points anyone?
 

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